Milling machine



Oct. 24, 1933. v w. D. ARCHEA 1,932,378

MILLING MACHINE Filed May 17, 1930 4 She ts-Sheet 1 gmm ltoa WAL TEE D: fiECHE/J Oct. 24, 1933. w. D. ARCHEA 1,932,378

MILLING MACHINE Filed May 17 1.950 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 attor "0,11

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WALTER D. ARCH/5A 5% l1 Il Q mam Oct. 24, 1933. w. D. ARCHEA 1,932,378

I MILLING MACHINE Filed May 17 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 -W4LTEE D. AR

Patented Oct. 24, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MILLING MACHINE Application May 17, 1930. Serial No. 453,377

6 Claims.

This invention relates to machine tool transmissions and more particularly to variable speed transmissions and control mechanism therefor.

It is well recognized that machine tools due to their universality of action must be provided with transmissions having a greater range of speed rates than is necessary for devices which are utilized for more limited purposes. In order to effect this series of transmission rates a plurality of control elements are usually provided necessitating the making at times of a number of shifts to effect the desired rate. It is therefore a general object of this invention to provide a variable feed transmission with improved control mechanism whereby the complete series of rates may be effected by a single controlling element, thereby simplifying the task of effecting the desired speed.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a control mechanism for a variable speed transmission having a plurality of control elements and improved means for the intermittent' actuation of one by the other.

A further object of this invention is the provision of improved control means for a variable feed transmission located at a convenient point by the side of the table and having an indicating dial positioned for observation by the operator without changing his position.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention should be readily apparent by reference to the following specification considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings illustrative of one embodiment thereof, but it will be understood that any modifications may be made in the specific structural details hereinafter disclosed within the scope of the appended claims without departing from or exceeding the spirit of the invention.

Referring to the drawings in which like reference numerals indicate like parts:

Figure 1 is an elevation of a machine tool embodying the principles of this invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical section on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an expanded view of the variable feed transmission.

Figure 4 is a sectional detail showing the relation of'the control cams to the shiftable elements. Figure 5 is a detailview of the intermittent driving connection between the control cam shafts.

Figure 6 is an expanded view of the shifter control mechanism.

Figure -7 is a diagrammatic view of the general machine transmission.

Figures 8 and 9 are expanded views of the control cams.

Figure 10 is a view as on the line 10-10 of Figure 2 showing the'speed indicating dial.

In the drawings the reference numeral 10 indicates the base of a milling machine having a work support element ll slidable thereon and a vertically movable spindle carrier 12 mounted on an upstanding portion 13 thereof. In order to translate these elements a prime mover such as 14 is provided, for actuating the main transmission shaft 15 which in this instance serves as a rapid traverse actuator. This shaft drives the branch transmissions 16 and 17 which are connected respectively to the table actuating feed screw 18 and the spindle carrier feed screw 19 by means of the shafts 20 and 21 for actuation thereof at a rapid traverse rate.

These elements are also driven at a slow or feeding rate by a variable feed transmission indicated generally by the reference numeral 22, interposed between the rapid traverse shaft 15 and the feed shaft 23, the latter shaft adapted to be selectively connected with either the shaft 20 or 21 by meansof the clutch members 24 or 25.-

The shaft 15 is provided with a pinion 26, shown more particularly in Figure 3, meshing with the gear 27 fixed to the shaft 28 of the variable feed transmission for actuation thereof. Slidably mounted upon this shaft are the shiftable gear couplets 29, 30 and 31, 32 adapted to selectively engage the gear couplet 33, 34 and the gear couplet 35, 36 respectively mounted for free rotation on the shaft 37. A shaft 38 adjacent to the shaft 37 is provided with the slidable gear couplet 39, 40 for selective engagement with either the gear 34 or the gear 41 for rotation of the gear 42 fixed to the sleeve 43 upon which the gear couplet 39, 40 is splined, at eight different speeds. The sleeve 43 is mounted for free rotation upon the shaft 38 and the gear 42 integral therewith is in constant driving engagement with the gear 44 fixed to the shaft 37. Splined on one end of shaft 38 is the shiftable gear 45 having the clutch element 46 integral therewith. This gear is adapted to mesh with the gear 47 fixed with the shaft 3'1 upon movement to the left and 105 the clutch element 46 adapted to couple with the clutch element 48 integral with the sleeve 43 upon movement in the opposite direction, whereby the shaft 38 may be selectively driven at sixteen different feed rates. The shaft 38 has keyed to 110 its projecting end the final drive member 49 which by means of a gear 50 actuates the feed shaft 23 at any of these rates.

In order to control the shiftable elements of the transmission a pair of control drums are provided, as shown more particularly in Figure 6. The drum 51 is adapted to control the shiftable gear couplet 29, 30 and 31, 32 by means of shifter arms 52, shown more particularly in Figure 4, which have cam followers 53 attached thereto riding in the cam paths 54 and 55 respectively, formed in the drum. The cam paths are shown in expanded view in Figure 9 and the off-sets 56, 57, 58 and 59 are provided for shifting the connected couplets to effect a progressive change in the rate of rotation of the final drive member of the transmission. The other cam drum 60 has the cam paths 61 and 62 for shifting the slidable gear 45 and the gear couplet 39, 40 by means of the shifter arms 63 which are also shown more particularly in Figure 4. These arms have cam followers riding in the cam paths 61 and 62, which are shown in expanded view in Figure 8. The cam path 61 has the off-set portion 64 for shifting the gear 45 into engagement with the gear 47 and the off-set portion 65 for shifting the clutch element 46 into driving engagement with the clutch element 48. The cam path 62 has the off-sets 66, 67, 68 and 69 therein. The off-sets 66 and 67 are adapted to shift successively the gear couplet 39, 40 into engagement with the gears 3i and 41, respectively, during which time the gear 45 is in mesh with the gear 4'7 and the off-sets 68 and 69 for shifting the gear couplet 39, 40 while the clutch member 46 is in driving engagement with the clutch member 48.

The cam drums 51 and 60 are interconnected for rotation in such a manner that for each setting of the cam 60, represented by the four off-sets 66 to 69 inclusive, the cam drum 51 makes a full revolution, or in other words, the cam drum 51 makes four revolutions while the cam drum 60 makes one revolution. To accomplish this the cam drum 60 is driven from the cam drum 51 by the Geneva movement, shown more particularly in Figure 5. The cam shaft 70 which bears the cam drum 60 is provided with the Geneva gear 71 having the four radial grooves '72 for receiving successively the roller 73 journaled on the pin 74 fixed to the plate '75 integrally connected with the cam shaft 76. This shaft has a bevel gear 77 meshing with a bevel gear '78 mounted in anti-friction bearings 78' carried by the housing 79'. This housing which supports the variable feed transmission and rate change mechanism therefore is detachable from the base of the machine as a unit as shown more particularly in Fig. 2. The gear 78 has a splined bore for detachably receiving the operating shaft 79 therein.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2 a housing 78 is detachably mounted on the opposite side of the base of the machine and has journaled therein the shaft 80 mounted in anti-friction bearings 80. A large bevel gear 81 keyed to the end of the shaft meshes with the bevel pinion 82 keyed to the end of the shaft 79. A handle 83 is keyed to the outer end of the shaft for manual actuation thereof and has connected for rotation therewith the disk 84. having a pointer 85 attached thereto. The pointer is adapted upon rotation of the shaft to ride over indicia 86 fixed to the top of the housing to indicate the effected speed. To insure that the parts will remain in selected position a detent mechanism has been provided in the form of a detent plunger 87 cooperating with a plurality of detents 88 formed in the underside of the disk 8%, there being one for each position of the handle.

It will be noted that the shaft '79 is operatively connected to the cam shaft 76 by miter gears so that it is necessary to provide gear reduction between the shaft 76 and the handle 83 in order that one revolution of the handle will represent the full range of speeds and still effect the four revolutions necessary for the cam 51 to eifect this result. This is accomplished in the present instance by making the ratio of the gears 81, 82 four to one.

Attention is invited to the fact that the housing 78 is angularly arranged with respect to the side of the machine and this makes it possible to mount the indicator dial in such a position that it will face toward the operator so that he may observe the setting of the feed transmission or make changes therein, without bending over or changing his normal operating position at the machine.

It is also to be noted that the housings 79 and 78 may be mounted as detachable units on opposite sides of the base and the spline connection between the shaft 79 and bevel gear 78 makes this possible. In other words, the housing 79' may be secured in place on one side of the machine bed and then the other housing may be positioned on the opposite side by introducing the end of the shaft 79 into the bore of the gear 78 after which it may be secured in place.

That which is claimed is:

1. In a milling machine having a support, a work table mounted thereon for movement with respect thereto, means in the support for imparting various rates of feed movement to the table including a variable feed transmission, rate change mechanism therefor comprising spaced parallel cam cylinders, one of said cylinders adapted to effect one series of rates in the transmission, the other cylinder having means for multiplying the series of rates effected by the first cylinder, means to rotate the first cylinder a full revolution to effect its series of rate changes, reduction mechanism for rotating the second cylinder a predetermined fraction of a revolution at the end of each revolution of the first cylinder, manual rotational means adapted to effect in one revolution the full range of rate changes in said transmission, and reduction gearing between said manual means and said first named rotational means having a reduction ratio equal inversely to that of the said reduction mechanism.

2. In a milling machine having a support, a work table mounted thereon for movement with respect thereto, means in the support for imparting various rates of feed movement to the table including a variable feed transmission, rate change mechanism therefor comprising spaced parallel cam cylinders, one of said cylinders adapted to effect one series of rates in the transmission, the other cylinder having means for multiplying the series of rates effected by the first cylinder, a shaft for rotating the first cylinder a full revolution to effect its series of rate changes, reduction mechanism including a Geneva gear for rotating the second cylinder a predetermined fraction of a revolution at the end of each revolution of the first cylinder, a manually operated control member adapted to eifect in one revolution the full range of rate es of the transmission, and reduction bevel gearing between the control member and the said shaft having a reduction ratio equal inversely to the reduction ratio of the Geneva ear.

3. A milling machine having a support, a table reciprocably mounted thereon, a variable feed transmission mounted in said support for imparting various feed rates to said table including a plurality of shiftable gear couplets, rotatable cam; drums adjacent thereto for determining the sequence in which said couplets will be shifted to effect progressive rate changes in the transmission, actuating means for one of the mm adjacent the longitudinal edge of said table, and means for intermittently actuating the second from the first including a Geneva gear attached to the shaft of the second drum. having a plurality of radial grooves therein, a Geneva pinion attached to the shaft of the first 0:."2K: including a plate having a pin for seuentially entering and leaving each groove to effect partial rotation of said second drum to multiply the series of rates efiected by the first =HIII.

d. A milling machine having a support, a part translatably mounted on said support, means to impart a plurality of feed rates thereto, including a variable feed transmission, a rate change mechanism associated therewith including a pair of cam cylinders rotatably mounted on spaced parallel shafts, means to intermittently actuate one from the other including a Geneva gear mechanism, a housing mounted at an angle on the side of said support, a shaft journaled in said housing and operatively connected to one of said cams for rotation thereof, means to rotate said shaft to effect a plurality of rate changes in said transmission, and detent mechanism in said housing associated with said shaft for maintaining the parts in determined position.

5. A machine tool organization including a hollow bed member having ways on the upper portion thereof for support of a translatable unit, said bed having apertures at the sides thereof affording access to its hollow interior, a bracket unit applicable to the wall of the bed surround ing one of said apertures, said unit having wall portions supporting an organized sliding gear teed varying transmission and mechanism for rate change actuation thereof, said mechanism terminating in an operating member at the inner side of the bracket unit and within the hollow interior of the bed, a control means for said operating mechanism including a second bracket member applicable to the bed in circumscribing relation to an aperture opposing the first, said second bracket member including an angularly related portion having a speed indicating dial on the upper portion thereof, a rotatable spindle member journaled within the bracket portion and having a pointer disposed in overlie relation to the dial for cooperation therewith, a drive member carried by the spindle and contained within said second bracket member, and driving connections extending transversely to the hollow interior of the bed and connecting said drive member with the terminal actuating device for the gear shifter mechanism for actuation thereof to determine the speed of translation of the members supported by the bed.

6. A milling machine having a bed composed of top and side walls, a work table mounted on the top wall of said bed, a variable feed transmission mounted in the bed beneath the table for imparting variable feed rates to the table, a rate change mechanism associated with said transmission, operating means therefor including a rotatable shaft journaled within the bed one of said side walls having an opening therein adjacent the feed transmission, a detachable housing attached to the side wall closing said opening, said housing projecting upwardly and outwardly to a position adjacent the top edge of the table, a control shaft coaxially journaled in the housing whereby the upper end thereof will be adjacent the top edge of the table, means extending through the opening in the bed for operatively coupling the control shaft to the first named rotatable shaft, an operating lever attached to the upper end of the control shaft, an indicia plate attached to the top of the housing, said plate being substantially normal to the operators line of vision from his operating position at the machine whereby operation of the control lever will actuate said rate change mechanism and the plate will indicate the rate eifected thereby.

WALTER D. ARCHEA. 

